Happy Fourth of July!

What 5 Little Things Make You Happy?

Lately I’ve been hitting work topics pretty hard on the blog, so I thought it might be time for some fun.

What Brings a Smile to Your Face?

We tend to think about the big things in life that are important … but what about the little things? Those things are important too, aren’t they? So let’s go small. Here’s my list - I’d love to hear yours. Please comment here or even write your own post.

1. Making every green light.
2. I love potato chips. But especially, I love the folded-over chips you find occasionally in the bag. (I wish a potato chip…

Hilarious Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry Word Sketch

Image by Buou via FlickrIf you only know Hugh Laurie from House, you may not know he started in comedy. Here’s an extremely funny sketch on one of my favorite themes - words!

Follow the link below to view the 3 minute video -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNoS2BU6bbQ

Fear

The world crumbles

again

and yet

all things must pass
there is nothing new under the sun
I remember his words
do not be afraid.
___________________________

This is my contribution to the 25 Words of Wisdom project from Liz Strauss.

(Photo, do u fear love, by ia7mad on Flickr.)

What I Learned from Riding Trains in Europe

Image via WikipediaMany moons ago, I backpacked around Europe with a good college friend of mine. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I highly recommend it to any recent college grad. We traveled everywhere on passenger trains, and they became an integral part of the texture of the entire experience.

Bottom line lesson — America should build a better passenger rail system! Not only does train travel reduce gasoline expenditures, it offers other, perhaps even more important benefits.

Other lessons learned from riding trains

Slow down and see what you’re looking at. You know the adage, getting there is half the fun?…

Do You Wish You Were Here?

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeJoanna Young at Confident Writing has been exploring the topic of purposeful questions this month. Her discussion includes a group project asking for examples of questions in poems that have had a powerful impact on us.

I’m not much of a poetry buff, but music and rock lyrics … . In 1975 Pink Floyd released a groundbreaking, haunting, record album (a big black round thing) called Wish You Were Here. Its title cut kicks off with a series of penetrating questions that have stuck in my head for 33 years, and counting.

Do these magnificent questions speak to you, too? How…

What I Learned From Mother Robin

When I was a young boy, our family lived in a cozy, red brick house with white shutters in a small and sleepy Midwestern town. Summer was my favorite time of year. At bedtime, which was right around dusk, my mother would throw open my bedroom window, and I’d fall asleep listening to the rustling leaves of the giant maple tree just outside.

Our neighborhood was full of kids about my own age. In the summertime we’d squeeze every moment out of the day playing together, getting into as much trouble as grade school children could. The back yards we’d cut…

What I Learned from Shooting a Muskrat

Here’s a funny story with a serious lesson.

A long time ago my friend Bryan and I were camping out on his parent’s farm in northern Indiana. Bryan was something of a gun collector, and when we were down there we’d shoot at targets with his various rifles and handguns. On this particular occasion we had a .22 rifle, but hadn’t bothered to use it; we were having too much fun grilling chicken, drinking beer, and solving life’s problems.

The next day we’re traipsing back to the farmhouse, following a muddy, near stagnant creek that wound through the corn fields. All…

Word Sell Wecognizes Wascally Wabbit Wizard

Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and a host of other unforgettable cartoon characters, was born on this day in 1908. Any lover of words and language who has a sense of humor will have a tender spot in his or her heart for this grand master of cartoon communication. If you have 8 minutes to spare, check out this Mel Blanc tour de force.

Another Story about Falling Down Mountains

You all seemed to enjoy my story about falling down a mountain, in fact, it brought back some memories of your own falls which you were kind enough to share. Your comments made for some entertaining reading, for sure!

Anyway, when you live in Colorado as I did, you usually wind up with more than one story about falling down a mountain. Well, I’ve got several, so I think I’ll run a series. Do these stories have any connection to small business sales and marketing? Well, if it’s good business to get up after you stumble, consider these posts teaching by…

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